Academic Honesty and Code of Student Conduct Policies

Explore This Section

Academic Honesty and Code of Student Conduct Policies

Please read the policies and then fill out the acknowledgment form at the bottom of
the page.

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

The University is a community dedicated to learning and research, both of which include
the transmission of knowledge. In striving to learn, we are often dependent on what
others have achieved and thus become indebted to them. Courtesy, gratitude and justice
require that we make public our reliance on and use of the ideas and writings of others.
At the time of matriculation at UD, all students are informed of the honor code as
described below, and asked to sign a card indicating their understanding of same.

Plagiarism

An attempt to claim ideas or writing that originate with others as one's own is a
serious offense against the academic community. Plagiarism is not mitigated by a paraphrase
or even by an extensive rewriting of another's works. Whenever ideas or words are
borrowed, the student must give credit by citing the source. The same principle of
honesty applies to the use of modern technologies like the computer – sources of information
must be accurately credited.

A student who submits plagiarized work is subject to disciplinary action. An instructor
who discovers that plagiarized work has been submitted in fulfillment of course requirements
shall immediately inform the student, allowing him or her the chance to explain the
circumstances. If after conferring with the student the instructor still considers
the student's work to be plagiarized, then the instructor will compile the materials
of the case, including the piece of work that may have been plagiarized, any sources
from which the student plagiarized and a report of the instructor's conversation with
the student. The instructor will submit these materials to the appropriate Academic
Dean.

If the student acknowledges in writing that he or she plagiarized, the case does not
go to an Academic Disciplinary Committee. Instead, the instructor assigns a grade
on the work and a grade in the course, up to and including failure in the course.
The appropriate Academic Dean reviews the case and decides on a penalty beyond the
grade, according to the procedure described below.

If a student does not acknowledge the plagiarism, the appropriate Academic Dean will
submit the case, with all relevant materials, to the Academic Disciplinary Committee
of the student's school. That disciplinary committee will conduct its own investigation
and will hold a hearing at which the student, representing him or herself, will be
invited to present his or her case and to respond to the committee's questions. The
committee will decide solely on whether the student did plagiarize, and will base
its decision only on the evidence, not on mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

If the committee finds that plagiarism did occur, it will convey its findings to the instructor and to the appropriate academic dean.
The instructor will assign a grade to the material in question and a grade for the
course, up to and including failure in the course, and shall report these grades to
the appropriate academic dean. The dean shall hold a show-cause hearing with the student
on why he or she should not be dismissed from the University, and shall decide on
any penalties beyond the grade, up to and including dismissal from the University.

If the appropriate Academic Disciplinary Committee decides that the work is not plagiarized, the committee will inform the instructor of its decision. The instructor shall then
compute a grade for the piece of work and the course without regard to plagiarism,
but solely on the basis of his judgment ofthe quality of the student's work. The case
against the student is then dropped.

Repeat offenses are subject to further disciplinary action including, but not limited
to, academic suspension and dismissal.

Adequate procedures for dealing with instances of plagiarism in off-campus programs
will be determined by the appropriate Academic Dean in consultation with the Director
of that program.

The standard procedure in a case of plagiarism in a thesis or dissertation is termination
of work toward the degree. The standard procedure in a case of plagiarism discovered
in a thesis of dissertation after the degree has been granted, regardless of the length
of time ensuing, is revocation of the degree.

Cheating

The integrity of examinations is essential to the academic process. A student who
cheats on examinations or other work submitted in fulfillment of course requirements
is subject to disciplinary action. When cheating is discovered during the examination
itself, the instructor or proctor is to take up the examination and dismiss the student
from the examination for a later appearance before the instructor. The review of all
cheating cases and the imposition of penalties will follow the procedure explained
under "Plagiarism."

Course Requirements

Clearly there are relationships between ideas considered, texts read, and assignments
given in courses. However, the student should understand that requirements are unique
to the particular course. That is, it is unethical and thus a case of academic dishonesty
to submit the same work for more than one course unless there is prior agreement between
the professors concerned about the cross-course nature of a project.

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY

The University policy on class attendance is stated below. It is clear from the policy
that class attendance, implying also class participation and involvement, is integral
to the fundamental work of the institution. Without participation in the class-room,
the student will not become a part of the community of scholars who share individual
insights and develop common understandings. Especially for these reasons, the University
insists on class attendance.

Unexcused absences from four class hours in any one course shall be reported to the
Registrar, who will then warn the student. If any further unexcused absences occur,
an instructor may, at any time before the last day of classes, require a student to
be withdrawn from a course for excessive absences. He must notify the Registrar in
writing. A "W" will be assigned through the 10th week. After the 10th week an "FA"
will be assigned. The Registrar will notify the student of the instructor's action
and invite the student to consult with the instructor. The instructor's decision will
be final.

Instructors may permit students to be absent from a specific class, lab or examination
for legitimate reasons, including health problems and official extracurricular activities.
In considering whether to grant that permission, instructors should take into account
the adequacy of the student's performance in the class. An instructor may decide to
request that the student leave the classroom for the remainder of the period for any
particular class.

Classroom Code of Conduct

The Classroom Code of Conduct • No student should be denied the right to learn because of disruptive, disrespectful
or rude behavior in the classroom. Stated below are the minimum standards. At their
own discretion faculty may add behaviors to the list below if they believe these behaviors
are disruptive, disrespectful or rude. o Students must not engage in conduct that endangers others or is considered
disorderly, lewd or indecent o Students must speak in a way that is courteous and respectful to both
professor and other students o Students must be attentive and focused (e.g., no sleeping or side
bar conversations) o During class time, there is to be no use of computers for e-mail or
"surfing" o Electronics policy: Cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices
must be turned-off before entering the classroom (unless authorized by ADA requirements).
If there are extenuating circumstances, the student must request permission from the
professor and with permission leave the device on vibrate/silent mode.

Consequences for Code ViolationStudents who violate the classroom code of conduct are subject to the following:

1st offense: Professor provides a verbal warning to the student and outlines the consequences
if the behavior continues. Severe behavior may warrant a professor asking the student
to leave the classroom. Any such student must comply with the request immediately.

2nd offense: Professor discusses the problem with the student and provides a written warning that
is sent to the student's UD mailbox, or home address, as well as advisor and dean
of the college or school. The professor may ask the student to leave the classroom
based on the severity of the behavior.

3rd offense: Professor may ask the dean to withdraw the student from the course. Written notification
is provided to the student and registrar's office.

Due process:The student has one appeal that would occur after the 3rd offense. If the student
is withdrawn from the course a written appeal must be made to the dean within 48 hours
of the withdrawal. The student is expected to attend class during the appeal process.
The appeal is forwarded to the Academic Discipline Committee. The Committee requests
a statement from the professor. Based on these statements from the professor and student,
the committee votes to either sustain or overturn the withdrawal from the course.

Multiple Code Violations:If a student has 2 classroom code violations that have led to 2 course withdrawals
the student may be dismissed from the university. In the case of a dismissal, the
student has the right to an appeal and must make a written appeal to the appropriate
academic dean within 72 hours of the dismissal notification. The student is expected
to attend classes during the appeal process. The appeal is forwarded to the Academic
Discipline Committee. The Committee requests a statement from the dean. Based on these
statements from the dean and student, the committee votes to either sustain or overturn
the dismissal.

The University of Dallas is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The university does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetic information, protected veteran status, age, or disability in the administration of its employment practices.